There are no applicant related applications.
1. Field of the Invention
It is generally accepted that only about ten per cent of all hearing loss patients can be helped by medical means. The remaining approximately ninety per cent, whose condition is not medically treatable, must turn for help to hearing aids. This invention, in one of its broader aspects, relates to such hearing aids. In a more specific aspect the invention relates to hearing devices for infants and children, disabled people, and also for adults who utilize hearing aids. Even more specifically the invention provides a hearing assembly whose object is to overcome the common and irritating problem of hearing aid feedback noise.
2. Background Information
Hearing aids allow patients to hear and understand speech better in most listening situations, especially those involving high pitched speech sounds. They are particularly helpful in situations that are difficult or dangerous. Even users who have profound hearing loss have been helped by these sophisticated electronic devices. Hearing aids are used in the non-medical treatment of hearing loss. Hence they are not true prosthetic devices. They do not replace damaged ears. They are merely aids for hearing impaired ears. Sounds from the environment, or from someone speaking, enter the hearing aid through a microphone. The microphone then converts that sound (acoustical) energy into electronic energy that is sent to an electronic circuit containing filters and amplifiers that increase the sound volume. A receiver in the ear converts the amplified electrical energy back into sound (acoustic) energy.
Hearing aids have different responses for different hearing losses. There is no such thing as a one size fits all hearing aid. It is understandable, then, that there are various types of such devices. For a more complete understanding of this invention a brief discussion of the types of hearing aids is deemed helpful. In one type, in-the-ear (ITE), the hearing aid fits completely in the outer ear filling the entire outer bowl (concha) of the ear. The hard plastic case which is placed in the ear holds the instrumentation and it can accommodate additional technical mechanisms such as dual microphones. ITE hearing aids are generally used for mild to severe hearing loss, but unfortunately they are not entirely appropriate for infants or young children, and even some active adults. Another type, the in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid, customized to fit the size and shape of the ear canal, is also suggested only for mild or moderately severe hearing loss. Some ITC aids are so small they fill only about one-half of the concha bowl of the ear. Still another type is a completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid, largely concealed in the ear canal, and also recommended only for mild to moderately severe hearing loss. Finally, the behind-the-ear (BTE) device, is suitable for all types and most degrees of hearing losses. It is the most appropriate style, not only for infants and young children, but for people of all ages who are faced with hearing losses, and others who find feedback noise particularly annoying. In BTE hearing aids components are held in a case behind the ear, and the sound is transmitted via a tube through an ear mold made to fit in the ear canal.
It can be seen that the degree of hearing loss present is an important factor in the selection of the type of hearing aid, and that BTE aids generally are recommended in many cases of hearing loss, especially in infants and young children in order to acquire speech, language and social skills. In the case of severe to profound hearing loss cochlear implants are being recommended. A cochlear implant is a surgical procedure, and the decision to receive an implant involves discussions with many medical specialists and an experienced surgeon. The process is expensive, and an additional consideration is that learning to interpret the sounds created by an implant takes time, practice and the involvement of speech, language pathologists and audiologists. The cochlear implant processor/microphone assembly is now being offered in a BTE configuration. In this environment, then, the invention herein also fits particularly well to help maintain the device in place.
It can be appreciated that progress in hearing aids has come a long way. For instance, it is now possible to place more sophisticated circuitry in a smaller package. Nevertheless, despite such progress hearing aids are not the perfect answer to many hearing problems. Some adult ears cannot be fit with hearing aids securely in place because of the overall size of their ear canals, or the way their ear canals bend and turn. The small size of hearing aids also leads to loosely fitting ear molds that require frequent adjustment. Such adjustment requirements lead to loosely fitting units. Even mouth movements such as chewing, talking, and athletic or other active endeavors cause hearing aid slippage calling for necessary adjustments. Loosely fitting hearing aids are the cause of an even more formidable condition. It is well accepted that ill fitting ear molds resulting from slippage are subject to feedback noise. Feedback is an annoying, high pitched sound, often a whistle, which occurs when a hearing aid does not fit securely enough in the ear. It negates many of the benefits of hearing aids.
Feedback noise is the most common complaint of hearing aid wearers. It has, therefore been the subject of such patents as U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,016. U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,339, U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,151, as well as U.K. patent. 2,311,186, The approach in these patents has been the provision of tubes or sleeves fitting snugly over the ear mold to prevent loosening. These sleeves, however, are nevertheless capable of movement during such activities as those described hereinbefore. Lubricants have also been tried, but they too do not work well.
Hearing aids present special problems for infants, and young children. Ear molds are outgrown, and they become displaced due to their size and weight on ears of young children. In children, hearing ability is fundamental to speech development. For this reason neonatal screening is now quite widely used to look for hearing impairments. The invention herein is particularly useful when hearing problems are found in those early stages.
An object of the invention, then, is to provide a hearing aid assembly which is particularly suitable for use by infants and energetic children fitted with BTE hearing aids.
Another object is the provision of a hearing aid assembly for use by active adults with hearing losses.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a hearing aid assembly which eliminates feedback noise.
In-the-ear hearing aids are not usually recommended for infants and young children. Their ears are too small and they are still developing. By almost constantly moving, infants and small children also are more likely to loosen their ear molds, and even remove them if feedback noise is present. By this invention a hearing aid assembly is provided eliminating feedback noise. The assembly includes the combination of a hearing aid with a feedback constricting headset. The hearing aid carries a microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker in a case to be worn behind an ear. An ear mold fitting in an ear conducts amplified sound to an eardrum. The feedback constricting headset includes a compress, a pressure plate, and a headband. The compress is a soft compressible pad that is sized to cover the ear concha in order to obstruct incoming external noise. The compress is shaped to press on the ear mold when the soft material is depressed. The pressure plate is a thin disk. It is sufficiently rigid so that it can depress the compress when a force is applied to it. The headband is a resilient band shaped to fit over a head like music headphones. The band is adapted to hold the pressure plate over the compress, and, through its resiliency, to apply that force, urging the pressure plate inwardly. The inward force depresses the compress against the ear mold thus holding the ear mold in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,081 is directed to a hearing aid harness. Since it is chiefly for patients not of sufficient age to be instructed in the importance of retaining hearing aids in their proper positions the feedback problem is not dealt with. And, feedback noise would not be eliminated by a plurality of transverse straps. The straps which hold the hearing aid in the ear merely maintain the position of the hearing aid. Since there is no resiliency factor, there is no inward force on the hearing aid to maintain intimate contact between the ear canal and the hearing aid. For a better understanding of such differences the invention will now be discussed in greater detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.